15 Days
Colombia
WILDLIFE B (ANY SEASON) 15D
This tour is designed for soft wildlife enthusiasts, where you will visit different spots in Colombia surrounded by great nature and where you will also have the chance to observe some fauna & flora species. Our country is known for being the most biodiverse in the world per square kms.
Here you can expect to visit great ecolodges with beautiful details and have a comfortably experience visiting also the main cities of the country. You will be able to admire great and very diverse landscapes by completely different ecosysrems at each region, also with the chance to observe wildlife, depending how deep in nature you want to get at each destination.
Itinerary
Itinerary Expand All
Day 1
Day 1 - WELCOMING IN BOGOTÁ
A person from our team will be waiting for you at your arrival time at El Dorado Airport in Bogota and will take you to the hotel. On the way, he will give you a briefing of the whole experience with some advice and recommendations for a pleasant trip. Subsequently, you will have the rest of the day free at leisure, having time to recover from the flight or explore the city by yourself.
Day 2
Day 2 - BOGOTA ACCLIMATIZATION + HUMMINGBIRD SANCTUARY
On this day, you will have a free day in Bogotá in order to recover from your international flight and acclimatize to the weather of the Andean Region. Your hotel is located in the most modern area of the city, close to great restaurants. In the afternoon you will be taken to a hummingbird observatory located in the town of La Calera, where you can easily observe more than 14 different species.
Day 3
Day 3 – CHINGAZA NATIONAL PARK - DAY 1
On this day, we will take you early in the morning in a 1.5-hours transfer to Chingaza National Park. Once there we will explore the spectacular landscapes of Chingaza and its lagoons, looking for the spectacled bear by car. We can optionally do some hikes up to 10 kms by some trails of the Paramo ecosystem learning about the endemic plants, and animals of the protected area. At the end of the day, we will get back to the cabin to have dinner and rest.
Day 4
Day 4 - CHINGAZA NATIONAL PARK - DAY 2
On this day, we can optionally wake up early in the morning for a bird watching activity. After breakfast, we will get deeper inside the national park and can either look for the Andean bear by car or by hiking different trails by the hidden spectacular landscapes of the Colombian Andes. With some luck we might see the Andean bear among other endemic species of the place. After lunch, we will get back to Bogota to spend the night and rest in a comfortable hotel.
Day 5
Day 5 – WELCOMING AT CALANOA LODGE
On this day, you will fly to Leticia. Once there, you will have a 2.5-hrs. transfer in a public boat by the Amazon River with these departure times: (07:00, 10:00 & 13:30) towards the Calanoa reserve. You will check-in and can have afternoon and night activities walking by the primary forest, guided by expert natives who will take you to discover the sounds of insects, frogs, owls, monkeys, plants that bloom at night and phosphorescent mushrooms.
Day 6
Day 6 – PUERTO NARIÑO & TARAPOTO LAGOONS
On this day, you will have a full day tour starting with a navigation by the Amazon River towards Puerto Nariño. Then, you will have a walking tour in this, which was named the first fully sustainable town nationwide with no vehicles and a calm environment. Later on, you will have lunch and will visit the Tarapoto Lakes, where you can swim and see dolphins. Later on, you will return to the hotel while enjoying one of the great sunsets over the Amazon jungle.
Day 7
Day 7 - INDIGENOUS VILLAGES & CALANOA RESERVE
On this day, you will have a half-day tour visiting El Vergel or Mocagua indigenous village, to get closer to the daily life of its people, learn about medicinal plants, legends and myths. In the afternoon, you can have a walk by the Calanoa Natural Reserve, where a canoe will pick you up to return by water to Calanoa. This tour is recommended for wildlife enthusiasts where with some luck you will observe birds, monkeys, possibly some mammals.
Day 8
Day 8 - FREE MORNING AND TRANSFER TO LETICIA
On this day, you can do bird watching activity at 5:30 am and after breakfast you can do another activity such as kayaking, doing some guided hikes, do a handicraft workshop or even have an Amazon spa day for an extra cost. You can return to Leticia on a public boat with these departure times: (07:00, 11:00 & 15:00). Once at Leticia you will be taken to the hotel. You can optionally have a tour by the city and/or the neighbor Brazilian town of Tabatinga.
Day 9
Day 9: FLIGHT TO SANTA MARTA
On this day, you will have a transfer to be at the airport of Leticia 2 hours before your flight to Santa Marta with a connection in Bogota. Once you arrive, you will be taken to the hotel in the historical center and you will have a city-tour visiting the main spots of Santa Marta and also a visit to the Gold Museum.
Day 10
Day 10: EL DORADO LODGE – MINCA 1
On this day, you will be picked up at 9:00 AM and will have a 3-hrs. transfer to El Dorado lodge, located in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, which has the highest mountains next to the ocean in the world. First you will pass by Minca and then you will head to the reserve located at 1.695 m.a.s.l. You will have an expert guide the whole day in order to do wildlife observation along the way from the sea level to the elevation of the reserve.
Day 11
Day 11: EL DORADO LODGE - MINCA 2
On this day, we will wake up at 4:30 AM in order to take you to Cuchilla de San Lorenzo located at more than 2.100 m.a.s.l. with the chance to observe different bird species due to the elevation of the area. During the rest of the day, we will continue exploring the very well-preserved jungle with several butterflies, reptiles, birds, waterfalls and pristine nature in this special biodiversity spot between the snow-capped tropical mountains and the ocean.
Day 12
Day 12: EL DORADO LODGE - MINCA 3
On this day, you will have a second guided birdwatching activity in this reserve, which is one most famous nationwide for this activity, due to its geographical location and well-preserved ecosystems, having 420 species and 15 of them in critical danger of extinction. During the rest of the day, you can enjoy the great landscapes of the place and do some hikes, before having a 3-hrs. transfer to your hotel in Santa Marta.
Day 13
Day 13: STILT TOWNS + CARTAGENA
On this day, you will be picked up at 6:00 AM and will have a 1-hr. transfer to Nueva Venecia, which is a stilt town declared world heritage by UNESCO located in Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta. There you can see how locals have lived for centuries with a very close relationship with the water and nature there. You can see some wildlife and also see how fishermen and the communities live in stilt houses before having a 3-hrs. transfer to Cartagena.
Day 14
Day 14: CARTAGENA
On this day, you will have a 4-hrs. city-tour starting at 9:00 AM, visiting the main spots of the city of Cartagena, which has a strong heritage of Spanish architecture mixed with the colors and vibes of Caribbean vibes. You will have a free afternoon and night in order to discover the secrets of the walled city by yourself, walk by its cobblestone streets, watch its colorful balconies and enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere of the place.
Day 15
Day 15: FLIGHT OUT
On this day, you will have breakfast at the hotel. You will have a transfer included to take you to the international airport of Cartagena in order to be 3 hours before your flight out the country or 2 hours before flight connections inside Colombia.
Cost Info
Cost Info
Price includes
- ACCOMMODATION 4+ stars hotel, boutique hotels and ecolodges in double and twin rooms.
- ACTIVITIES All the activities mentioned in the plan, all in private tours and transportations, except when necessary.
- MEALS 11 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches and 4 dinners.
- TRANSPORTATION All land/sea transportation in private vehicles or shared, when strictly necessary.
- GUIDANCE Spanish speaking guides throughout the trip for all activities.
- Full 24/7 bilingual concierge available for monitoring the whole experience and solving requests and comments from the passengers.
Price excludes
- Activities or elements not described in the plan.
- Additional drinks.
- Tips, snacks and souvenirs.
- Personal items not described in the itinerary.
- National or International flights.
Add-ons & optionals
Add-ons & optionals Expand All
FAQ 1
What to take?
What to take?
- Clothes according to weather in each destination:
• Bogotá and Chingaza National Park: Long pants, closed shoes, jacket or cardigan.
• The rest of the destinations: Light clothes.
• Long-sleeved shirts to avoid sunburn and mosquito bites during outdoor activities.
- Bring waterproof clothing and/or rain poncho, especially in the rainy season.
- Appropriate footwear for the hikes (trekking boots are advisable and at least one pair of sneakers or several pairs for change (they might get wet during the treks).
- Swimming suit, towels and shoes for the water.
- Protection for electronic devices since they may be susceptible to damage due to humidity and/or rain in the area to visit.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent for the trails.
- Cap and/or sun protection for the head.
- Non-disposable rigid container to refill water (canteen or thermos).
- Flashlight.
- Special personal medicines.
- Personal medical insurance.
- Personal documents.
Map
Map
Gallery
Gallery
Recomendation
Recomendation
WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONNECTIVITY & BILINGUALISM
It is necessary to be properly prepared for the weather conditions on the travel dates, which are detailed below and also you need to take into account that not everywhere you can find bilingual staff or people at the destinations:
Bogotá D.C. (days 01-03):
Temp. Min: 6ºC Max: 14ºC, slightly humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and broken wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Chingaza National Park (day 03):
Temp. Min: 6ºC Max: 14ºC, slightly humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and broken wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Leticia (days 04-08):
Temp. Min: 12ºC Max: 22ºC, very humid climate / (100 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and broken wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
El Dorado Lodge (days 08-09):
Temp. Min: 17ºC Max: 27ºC, slightly humid climate / (900-2100 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and broken wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
Cartagena (Days 10-12):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide and many locals speak fluent English.
FAQ´s
FAQ´s
PLUG TYPE
• Voltage: 110V
• Frequency: 60 Hz
• Plugs: Type A / B
CURRENCY
Colombian Peso (COP) 1 USD = 3.800 COP aprox.
It is advisable to carry cash for extra expenses during the trip since in some areas access to ATMs and dataphones may be limited or non-existent.
REDUCTION OF WASTE GENERATION
We promote the reduction of waste generation from single-use plastics, so we recommend bringing your own non-disposable rigid container to refill water in hotels, especially for days when outdoor activities are planned.
VACCINES
Currently, there is no major outbreak of contagious disease or mosquito transmission in the areas to be visited. However, if there is an outbreak or important biological risk in the destinations to be visited, it will be informed in a timely manner prior to the trip.
Vaccines are not mandatory, but in the case of traveling to the jungle regions of the Pacific and the Amazon it is advisable to have the yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before the trip: https://colombia.travel/en/practical-information/health-and-vaccines
TIPPING
- Tipping is not mandatory, but if you consider you can tip the guides with an amount from 20.000 to 50.000 COP (5 to 12 USD aprox.) per day of service.
- At the restaurants the suggested tip is 10% of the service.
PLEASE INFORM IN ADVANCE ABOUT
- Food restrictions and/or preferences.
- Important illnesses to take into account, disabilities, allergies and/or other medical conditions that may affect the development of activities.
- Special requirements for the trip within the reach of our logistics.
